"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”

Friday, June 29, 2007

Doing What I Do Best......

I'm worried that my blog is becoming too "mommy blog" with a side of "way too whiny". I mean, yes, this is a journal of sorts, and if I feel strongly about anything that is going on in my life, I don't hesitate to write about it, but I like having people stop by here and I don't want it to get too "wah, wah, wah". Sure, my love life sucks is nonexistent, but Lord, do you all really want to hear about it daily? Sheesh!

So, I thought I would try to share a little of what I know with those of you who have children in your lives:

I LOVE reading. I love to read and I love teaching children to read. If you have a child/children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins....here are some suggestions from a teacher.

Read every day. I know it sounds simple, but in our busy world it can sometimes be hard to find time to do it all. Don't skip the book. It is as important as brushing teeth.

Read "real world" material. So many kids have never really looked at a newspaper. Subscribe to a magazine. National Geographic for Kids is good, as is the Ladybug/Spider/Cricket series of magazines. Read street signs. Read menus. Read recipes. I let Aaron help me "read" the directions to putting together a bookshelf. Diagrams and charts are important.

Go to the library. Don't just rush in and rush out. Hang out there for awhile. Let the kids go with you to the "adult" section and poke around. Look at the art.

Go to a bookstore. Look at everything and talk about what looks good to you. Let your child pick a book.

If your child likes the computer, here are some great free learning game websites:

8 comments:

As a kid, I always had my face buried in a book.My daughter has a TON of books, but rarely reads. Thankfully, she does well in her reading related classes.At this age, I like to think that she has a more active life than I did at her age.Hopefully.

I have a friend who has 9 pm bedtime set for her kids. UNLESS they are reading, then they can stay up until 10 pm. Clever huh? Kids always want to stay up later and the only way they can is to be reading. Kids are also gullible. ;-)

Speaking of gullible, I used to have Joseph convinced that they didn't sell toys at Target. The toy department is toward the back of the store, so we just never went back there.....He was like, 5 or 6 before he figured it out.

I know it was semi-mean, but it was self-preservation at that point in my life. With 3 young kids, I could NOT buy toys every time we went to Target!

J- I like your blog- don't worry about what people think, just be yourself and enjoy! You'd be surprised how people enjoy reading about things. Now about this post, I agree totally! I love to read also.

About Me

I am an elementary special education teacher and a reading specialist. I spend my days laughing and learning with grades K-2. I am working on my National Boards Certification in Literacy and am interested in leadership. I am a married mom of 4, with only one left at home. I have 3 cats and a neurotic dog.